Sarasota Tarpon Fly Fishing Action Still Hot
Capt. Rick Grassett
August 2, 2014
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fly anglers fishing the coastal gulf in Sarasota with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had great action with tarpon during the past couple of weeks. We had numerous shots each day, jumping 9 tarpon and catching and releasing 3 during the week of 7/21. In addition, spin fishing anglers caught and released snook, blues, trout and mangrove snapper on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos in Sarasota Bay recently.
Mike Roth, from PA, tarpon fished a few days early in the week of 7/21 with me. With many factors it often takes numerous shots for it all to come together. He got the shots and it all came together for him when conditions changed and he jumped 2 tarpon on back to back casts. He fought one of the fish for 20 to 30-minutes before it chewed through the 80-pound bite tippet with the fish close to the boat. Persistence pays off!
My brother, Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, visited and fished a few days with me later that week. We had good action with numerous shots each day, hooking up with 7 tarpon and catching and releasing 3, including an estimated 130 to 140-pound fish. One of the fish was DNA sampled and measured before being successfully released. Great action!
Tarpon thinned out in the coastal gulf during the week of 7/28, but anglers still had a dozen or more shots per trip at fish on several trips early in the week. Another tarpon, an estimated 90-pound fish, was caught and released on a fly on Friday, 8/1.
Tom Harmer, from Sarasota, FL and his son, Derek Harmer from Orlando, FL, fished a predawn trip in Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday, 7/31. They caught and released 7 or 8 snook to 24" around lighted docks before moving to the flats at dawn. They also caught and released trout, blues and mangrove snapper on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos on deep grass flats on both sides of the bay.
Tarpon are thinning out in the coastal gulf but they are aggressive. Most are singles, doubles or small schools, which are post spawn fish that are hungry. As they thin out in the coastal gulf, they are moving to inside areas where you may find them rolling at first light. You also should find trout, blues and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Catch and release snook fishing should be good in the surf, in passes and around docks and bridges close to passes.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
IFFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB's Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Sarasota Fishing Forecast:
Capt. Rick Grassett's Sarasota, FL Fishing Forecast for August 2014
Tarpon will move to inside waters of Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay this month. You may also find juvenile tarpon in creeks, canals and turning basins. Reds will school on shallow flats and big trout will prowl the same waters at dawn. Also look for trout on deep grass flats mixed with blues, pompano, Spanish mackerel and more. Catch and release snook fishing should be good around lighted docks at night or in the surf. Look for false albacore (little tunny) to show up in the coastal gulf later in the month.
Tarpon addicts will still be able to get their fix this month. You should still find a few tarpon in the coastal gulf early in the month. Drifting live baits or casting flies, DOA Baitbusters, DOA shrimp, DOA Airheads and the new 4" CAL shad tail should all work. As tarpon thin out along beaches, they will move to inside waters where you may find them schooling around bridges or rolling on deep grass flats. They will also feed in schools of ladyfish that are feeding on the surface. You should also find juvenile tarpon from 10 to 30-pounds in creeks, canals and turning basins. Your snook tackle will work fine for smaller tarpon although you'll need a leader of 40 to 60-pounds to keep them from going through it. Fly anglers should score with 8 or 9-weight fly rods, sinking lines and scaled down tarpon flies. These smaller tarpon are the perfect size for DNA sampling and since they are young, they may provide a data for years to come.
Snook season remains closed this month so handle them gently and use tackle heavy enough to catch and release them quickly. You'll find them around lighted docks and bridges in the ICW and in the surf. Small white flies, like my Grassett snook Minnow, DOA shrimp or CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms should all work well. The same lures and flies will work at night and in the surf, although you should be observant of what size baits are in those areas.
Reds will school up this month. You'll find them on shallow flats of north Sarasota Bay, lower Tampa Bay and Gasparilla Sound. They'll be easier to find in shallow water when the tide is low. Look for "nervous" water when it is slick calm or a slick patch of water when there is a ripple on the water. They may push a wake that looks like a boat wake. I try to be as quiet as possible in shallow water, poling to locate them. Once you've located a school of reds, try to get ahead of them to intercept them, much like tarpon fishing. If you work around the edges of the school, you may be able to catch a few of them before they spook. We often also find big jacks, blues and other predators in the mix along with reds. Top water plugs and fly poppers or Gurglers may draw some big bites. The new DOA Airhead should also be a hit with schooling reds.
Trout fishing should be good this month. You may find a big trout in skinny water at first light. Focus on mullet or bait schools to find them. Top water plugs, fly poppers or Gurglers should be very effective at that time of day. I always release big trout over 20", since they are usually females that may be full of roe. I like the same areas for big trout that I like for reds.
After it gets bright and starts to warm up, drop out to deeper grass flats (4' to 8') for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more. I like to drift and cast ahead of my drift with CAL jigs and shad tails or jerk worms or an Ultra Hair Clouser fly fished on a sink tip fly line. I make a series of drifts to locate fish and then shorten the drift or anchor depending on conditions. Ladyfish may feed in glass minnow schools and if they stay up long enough, it will attract trout, blues, mackerel, tarpon or sharks. Wide profile plastic baits or flies fished slowly around the edges of breaking fish will help keep ladyfish off your lure or fly and give you a chance to catch a tarpon. When blues, Spanish mackerel or sharks are in the mix add 6" of wire or heavy fluorocarbon. Also look for tripletail around crab trap floats, buoys or channel markers in inshore waters this month. A CAL shad tail or DOA shrimp rigged weedless or my Grassett Flats Minnow fly with a weed guard should get the job done.
You might find false albacore (little tunny) or Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf this month. Look for baitfish to find them. The Tampa Bay ship channel from the Skyway Bridge to Egmont Key is often one of the first areas where I find them this time of year. Small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow, poppers or Crease flies should all work well. Spin anglers should score with CAL jigs and shad tails. You'll need to add wire or heavy fluorocarbon when toothy fish are around.
Even though it is one of the hottest months of the year, there are lots of options this month. I usually tarpon fish as long as I can either in the coastal gulf or in inside waters. An early start for snook or tarpon around lighted docks or bridges and then on the flats for reds, trout and more is a good option. Whatever you choose to do, please limit your kill, don't kill your limit!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
IFFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB's Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Target Species:
tarpo, snook, reds, trout, bluefish
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